Shock and Awe
by Indecisively Yours
Summary: He's hiding the hurt. He's not dealing, because dealing would mean talking about it and talking about how hurt he was that he was used is just a big no in his book.


Quinn's physically sick to her stomach after Puck confides his secret in her. Sure, at the mention of angry sex she knew it wasn't going to be anything good. Sure, he did seem to snap in a way that was quite odd for her after their make out session.

But this? Of all things?

Part of her wants to cry. Part of her wants to simply lie there and cry as he holds her. But another part of her, a bigger part of her, is both disgusted (in Shelby) and angered (at Shelby). She used him. Shelby used Puck for her own selfish reasons and simply kicked him to the curb once she got what she wanted.

It hits her then that she was planning on using him too, tonight. Her original purpose in inviting him over now that her mother wasn't home was to possibly have another go at making another baby. But he called her out on it; called her out on a lot of things; and he stayed. (She could possibly never use him anyhow; try as she may, things were never as simple as her just using him. It was never just anything with them.)

He ends up sleeping over that day, falling asleep with his still wrapped around her, bodies pressed together, just like they used to do before, back when she was pregnant with Beth and couldn't exactly be comforted by him in any other way. In his sleep, she can see the pain etched into his face.

He's hurting too, she notes. She wasn't all alone.

The fact that he was hurting and Shelby just _used_ him angers her even more. It disgusts her even more; she honestly wonders why she once ever held an ounce of respect for the woman all those years ago.

He hangs around the next day, too, until her mother arrives. Makes up something about how he doesn't have any pools to clean or winterize or anything and since they're _friends_ (he likes to use that term often, because having a real friend is something he's prided himself in) he's allowed to stay and hang out. She doesn't kick him out. Doesn't yell at him, either, when he calls the next day (right after Church, it seems) and asks if she wants to kill some time by grabbing a bite to eat.

He's hiding the hurt, she notes. He's not dealing, he's merely avoiding it all because it's easier for him to do that then sit down and admit to the fact that it actually hurt the Hell out of him to be used like that.

Monday comes along too quickly for her liking. Classes pass by, and soon enough they're all sitting in the choir room, clapping, talking, singing. She's disgusted and enraged at the mere fact that she has to sit in the same room as the woman. She doesn't blame Puck when he seems to gravitate towards her once they go to take their seats, sitting behind her as if she could protect him from the mere presence of Shelby Corcoran.

She full on intends to do that. Because it's one thing for people to think certain things about Puck, but to flat out use him like she did and cause him as much pain as she did…she won't let her get away with that.

Not even Rachel's entrance into the choir room and her announcement that she was suspended and banned from Sectionals deters Quinn. It merely delays her plans a bit.

So after the fiasco is done in the choir room, she heads out, feeling him trailing close behind.

"So you maybe wanna hang today, after I go to practice?" he asks her, leaning against the locker next to hers once she's stopped to reach for her textbooks needed for the night.

It's sweet, she thinks, that he's seemed taken to her so quickly; that he feels safe around her (because she feels safe around him, too).

"I have to do something…." she begins to say, yet quickly changes the route of her story once she sees the somewhat fallen look on his face. "But…after dinner? My mom's got her book club tonight and it's not at our house this week so you could come over, instead. We'll have leftovers, if you're still hungry, and I can help you with your homework."

The small smile's back on his face, and after a quick nod and a kiss to her cheek, he's running off after Mike, yelling at him to wait up so that they could go to practice together.

Quinn waits a bit after he leaves before she leaves herself, walking in the opposite direction of the parking lot. To her fortune, one Shelby Corcoran is still present in her classroom of sorts, writing down a few notes here and there on a piece of paper.

She doesn't bother knocking. She doesn't even bother checking to see if people are looking. She merely walks into the classroom and shuts the door behind her.

"Stay away from Puck."

Those are the first words out of her mouth. No greeting, nothing else required. She wasn't ready to beat around the bush for this, either.

Shelby's eyes are slightly widened at that point, and she's flabbergasted, to say the least. "I'm sorry?" she questions, looking at the blonde student before her with a confused look in her eye.

"You heard me. Stay away from Puck," Quinn says through gritted teeth. "Don't talk to him. Don't look at him. Don't even resort to carrier pigeons to send him a message."

"Quinn…what are you—" But the woman is cut off at that point, not only by the glare she's receiving from the student, but by the words that come out of her mouth.

"I know you and Puck had sex." It's out in the open at this point. But she has a purpose. She came here to do all of this for a reason. "You used him. You got what you wanted out of him. But you lost your chance. Because he's a great guy and you're missing out and if you just realized that the moment you kicked him out then don't bother. Because you and him? Won't happen ever again. So stay away from him and stay away from me, too."

The brunette tries her hand at another protest, but she fails, quite miserably, at getting another argument out.

"Save it," Quinn tells her. "You've done enough. You didn't come back to Lima to let us be a part of Beth's life. You came back to Lima to ruin our lives. Not just mine and Puck's, but Rachel's too. So instead of focusing on ruining ours, focus on making sure you don't ruin my perfect baby's life. Because that angel has done nothing wrong to have such a despicable person as yourself as her _mother_."

She heads towards the door then, planning on leaving. With a grip on the door handle, however, she stops and turns to face the woman, giving her one final word of advice.

"I'm coming to you first and not to Principal Figgins or the authorities because I don't want to cause Beth any harm," Quinn explains herself. "But if you try _anything_ again, I won't hesitate on ruining _your_ life."

With that, she walks out of the classroom, head held high. She doesn't make it father than the parking lot before she sees Puck leaning against her car, phone in his hand.

"What are you doing here? Are you skipping practice?" she all but reprimands him.

He can't help but laugh, turning to her car and repeatedly trying to open the door. "Coach cancelled practice today. She's busy doing something so we're free. Surprise you were still here so I waited for you to give me a ride."

"And your truck?" she questions over the top of the car.

"Burt's shop; transmission's acting up so I dropped it off this morning and got a ride with Finn," he easily explains. "Wanna open the door sometime soon or should I just start walking…?"

She rolls her eyes, but can't seem to stay mad at him for too long because she's soon enough opening the door and letting him in. It's not long before she's driving out of the school parking lot with him, headed off to his house.

"You still have those plans?" he asks, as she pulls into his driveway to drop him off.

"Maybe…" she replies. "Why?"

He shrugs, mumbling something about having to watch his sister until his mom comes home. "You maybe wanna hang now? She normally just sits there and watches TV. We could…"

"Keep her company?" she suggests, a cross between a smirk and a smile on her face. "Sounds great."

The smile's back on his face once they get out of the car. It's something she hopes to keep there for a while.


End file.
